Simple nudges that are not so easy

DENISE DE RIDDER,EMELY DE VET,TINA VENEMA,ANASTASIA VUGTS,JORAM FEITSMA,MARIËTTE VAN DEN HOVEN,FLOOR KROESE,THOMAS SCHILLEMANS,MARCEL VERWEIJ

doi:10.1017/bpp.2020.36

DENISE DE RIDDER, EMELY DE VET + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.36

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Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we critically review three assumptions that govern the debate on the legitimacy of nudging interventions as a policy instrument: (1) nudges may violate autonomous decision-making; (2) nudges lend themselves to easy implementation in public policy; and (3) nudges are a simple and effective mean for steering individual choice in the right direction. Our analysis reveals that none of these assumptions are supported by recent studies entailing unique insights into nudging from three disciplinary outlooks: ethics, public administration and psychology. We find that nudges are less of a threat to autonomous choice than critics sometimes claim, making them ethically more legitimate than often assumed. Nonetheless, because their effectiveness is critically dependent on boundary conditions, their implementation is far from easy. The findings of this analysis thus suggest new opportunities for identifying when and for whom nudge interventions are preferable to more conventional public policy arrangements.

Highlights

More than a decade ago, nudges were introduced as a promising alternative to existing public policies that assume a citizen’s ability and willingness to make choices in their own best long-term interests (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008)
Nudges, which take the form of subtle hints towards more favourable options without forbidding alternative, less desirable options, can support individuals in making better decisions when hindered by myopia, inertia, lack of willpower (Bovens, 2009) or other documented biases in human reasoning
In this paper, we demonstrate the inefficacy of this isolationist approach by drawing on research from the Welfare Improvement through Nudging Knowledge (WINK) project, which examines nudging from the perspective of three core disciplines: ethics, public administration and psychology

Summary

Introduction

More than a decade ago, nudges were introduced as a promising alternative to existing public policies that assume a citizen’s ability and willingness to make choices in their own best long-term interests (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). Guidelines for policymakers to deal with these pressing issues are required (Hertwig, 2017) These insights generate new directions for the psychological research on nudging, whose finding that attempts to influence decisions are critically dependent on individual preferences and other moderators is based primarily on experimental examination of relatively trivial choices in artificial lab settings with a focus on immediate effects. To avoid exclusive focus on when and how nudges are effective − which risks the provision of technocratic solutions for public policy issues − psychological research should emphasize the immediate versus the long-term effects of nudging beyond mere efficient steering of behaviour By doing so, it can supplement the existing survey opinion data with critical insights into when and how nudges contribute to crucial behavioural regulation parameters, including decision-making competence, self-rule and capacity to act

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion